Chapter 2: The Tenth Great Thief

Fang Xing slowly pulled the knife out of Wang Zhi's abdomen, allowing Wang Zhi to writhe on the bed, clutching his stomach and howling like a large shrimp. He held the knife and walked slowly past several Taoist boys. Whenever he looked at someone, that person trembled in fear. The timid little speckled boy had already covered his head with a blanket, emitting muffled cries that were barely audible, resembling a ghost.

It has always been the young master who bullies others, and no one dares to bully the young master. You all certainly have quite a bit of audacity

Fang Xing chuckled and said, "You are seeking death!"

Fang Xing glanced at Wang Zhi, who was curled up silently on the bed, chuckled, twirled the knife in his hand, sheathed it, and said disdainfully: "He won't die. My uncle taught me that if the knife enters through the diaphragm point and exits through the step corridor point, it won't injure the organs, so he won't die. However, if I slip and stab inaccurately, then it’s uncertain. Hey, you there, come down and bandage him!"

He stealthily approached the bed of the young man with the black mole, holding a knife, and whispered: "Brother Wang Zhi, Brother Wang Zhi..."

Oh dear, esteemed gentlemen, I am but an honest person; whatever you say, I shall do without question

Fang Xing

The young man with the black mole let out a scream akin to that of a pig being slaughtered; he only managed to cry out once before Fang Xing covered his mouth.

Fang Xing's voice echoed in the wooden cabin, and no one dared to refute it, after all, the knife was glinting right in front of them

The others in the room were startled awake, hurriedly lighting the oil lamp, and immediately saw Fang Xing standing by Wang Zhi's bed, one hand holding a knife plunged into Wang Zhi's abdomen, his face twisted in a fierce expression. The timid little freckled girl immediately screamed in fright.

The young man with the black mole let out a cold laugh and said, "I have been in the field for six years, and they have been in for three years!"

As for the golden leaves sent by my third uncle, they have already been spent on purchasing a maid along the way

Wang Zhi wanted to struggle, but the knife was in his abdomen, seemingly nailed to the bed; he did not dare to move, as any movement would cause pain

Ah... Boss Fang, could you please bandage Brother Wang Zhi? He... he is about to die...

The plump man left, and Fang Xing looked at the young man with a black mole on his face, who was crossing his arms in front of his chest and gazing at him with an unfriendly expression, as well as the young Taoist boys beside him, each of whom was striking a pretentious pose despite their youth. He opened his mouth to ask: "How many levels do you all have?"

Gazing at the items in the bundle, Fang Xing was momentarily taken aback, and then he tied the bundle up once more

Qingyun Mountain, a renowned Taoist sect in the Chu region, has a heritage spanning three thousand years, with profound cultural depth

Fang Xing sighed, tossed the pamphlet aside, and lamented: "It seems I have been deceived by that woman!"

The young man with the black mole was taken aback and asked, "Which woman are you referring to?"

Practice well, you have struck a stroke of luck. Senior Sister Lingyun has specifically spoken to allow you to join the sect. However, you have neither a letter of recommendation, nor wealth, nor talent, so you can only start from the very bottom. This "Qingyun Qi Refining" manual is a secret of our Qingyun Sect, rarely seen by outsiders. If you diligently cultivate and refine the "Qingyun Qi Refining" to the first level of agility, you will be able to advance to an outer disciple...

The medicinal field is vast and unique, and despite the desolation of late autumn, this medicinal field is surprisingly lush and vibrant, demonstrating the skills of the Daoist sect

In the land of Chu, also known as the Southern Zhanbu Continent, the disciples of the Qingyun Sect stand atop the mortal realm like deities. The various sects and factions of the world appear as insignificant as mere chickens and dogs before the disciples of the Daoist sect, easily defeated. Just three months ago, the true disciple of the Qingyun Mountain Daoist sect, Xiao Jianming, single-handedly vanquished the nine major bandits of the Ghost Smoke Valley with just one sword, leaving only one to flee.

Fang Xing smiled and said, "Alright, alright, thank you all, senior brothers"

As he spoke, he slammed his fist onto the table on the other side with a bang, the veins on his arm bulging, looking fierce.

Having spoken, he plunged the knife down, all the way to the hilt

The Qingyun Sect recruits disciples once every ten years, selecting a thousand individuals each time. In contrast, the Taoist boys are recruited continuously, with their overall number exceeding ten thousand. Nominally, the Taoist boys are also considered disciples of Qingyun Mountain; however, they differ from ordinary disciples in that they do not receive monthly distributions of spiritual herbs, nor do they have elders who specifically teach them. Instead, they are required to perform menial tasks every day, earning only one day of rest per month

Fang Xing spoke in a low and stern voice, which, despite sounding somewhat youthful, now came across as eerie and terrifying

Ah ... ...

Another somewhat fair-skinned Taoist boy said, there is no need to say more, this person is the one who does the laundry

Fang Xing studies very quickly and has an excellent attitude. After dinner in the evening, he even brought a full bucket of water and soaked the dirty clothes of several other people in it, saying that they would wash them together at night, ... hang them to dry overnight, and they would be ready to wear by tomorrow ...

Fang Xing suddenly became submissive, pitifully pleading for mercy from these few leaders

Fang Xingdao: "Ling Yun, that woman said she would take me into the mountain gate, but who knew it was to do work? She only gave me this broken booklet. You few either entered the mountain for seven years or three years, yet you haven't accomplished anything. Isn't this deceiving?"

Listening carefully to the surroundings, it is very good, very quiet, indeed there is no one within a radius of ten miles.

What do you call me

The heads of the nine bandits have already been displayed at the entrance of Ghost Smoke Valley. Xiao Jianming is determined to eradicate evil and is currently making every effort to pursue the last bandit in the Yandang Mountain area. It is said that this is the most mysterious of the bandits, known only by name, yet no one has ever seen his appearance

Fang Xing took out a sharp dagger from his bundle, which appeared to be very sharp, with a brass inlay, and the blade was unstained with blood

Fang Xing brandished a knife in front of each of the disciples, saying: "I will only say one thing, from today onwards, this place is under my command. Whoever I direct to go east cannot go west; whoever I instruct to catch bugs cannot chase chickens. Otherwise, heh heh, this knife in my hand does not recognize anyone. With your few worthless lives, killing you is just killing you. Do you know who my sister is?"

A freckled young acolyte chimed in, saying, "Looking at this appearance, he must have been the one who used to fetch water from the toilet before."

His bundle contains many good things, a cloth tiger given to him by his uncle, medicine for wounds from his second uncle, a smoke pouch that releases a hallucinogenic mist from his fourth uncle, a device that releases iron needles from his fifth uncle, ... a hallucinogenic drug from his sixth uncle, a wild ginseng root from his seventh uncle, a wine gourd from his eighth uncle ... ... Most importantly, there is also a book given to him by his ninth uncle ... ... a hallucinogenic drug from his sixth uncle, a wild ginseng root from his seventh uncle, a wine gourd from his eighth uncle ... ... Most importantly, there is also a book given to him by his ninth uncle ... ...

The young man with a mole pointed his thumb at himself and said fiercely: "I already have the sense of energy, while others have nothing at all"

If you do not want to die, then shut your mouth

After Fang Xing was led by the Fat Daoist to a row of small wooden houses and handed over to a young man of about eighteen or nineteen years old with a large black mole on his face, the man grinned maliciously and handed him a stack of green garments, a small booklet, and a wooden plaque engraved with a name.

The young man with the mole was softly snoring, and it took three shakes to wake him up. Disturbed from his sweet dream, he immediately became furious and complained, "What do you want in the middle of the night? Are you looking to die?"

On the first day of his arrival, Fang Xing took on the heaviest tasks in the medicinal herb field. Along with the young man with black spots, a total of six people were responsible for tending to the medicinal fields within a radius of ten miles. The young man with freckles diligently taught Fang Xing what he needed to do, including watering, weeding, pest control, and loosening the soil. This medicinal field was called Qingrui Flower, which required watering once at the hour of the rooster in the evening, while a type of herb called Mo Ling Grass needed to be watered in the morning when the dew had formed

What was exchanged for was a thin booklet, titled: The Chapter on Cultivating Qi in the Azure Clouds

This was given to him by his third uncle, who also taught him a set of knife techniques for close combat, characterized by treachery and cunning

The freckled young acolyte excitedly threatened Fang Xing, seemingly experiencing the thrill of threatening someone for the first time, which inevitably made him a bit agitated

Haha, a softie...

The young man with the mole chuckled and said, "Don't be afraid, we won't harm you now. It's just that when night falls and the door is closed, heh heh, within a radius of ten miles, there will only be us few people. Even if you scream your throat raw, no one will pay you any mind..."

The young man with the mole and others burst into laughter, clearly having encountered such individuals many times before

Indeed, every three months, a senior brother from the Medicine Supervisory Department will come to conduct an inspection. During the other times, this place is truly our domain. Moreover, even if you report us, the senior brothers on the council will not pay any attention to it; they are far too busy to concern themselves with such matters. You would be in serious trouble, as the days ahead are long. Once you become a Taoist apprentice, it will take at least ten years before you can descend the mountain

Fang Xing nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "How many years have you been here?"

Fang Xing looked at them one by one, nodding thoughtfully, and said: "So it turns out you are bullying me..."

Several Taoist disciples expressed great satisfaction with Fang Xing's performance, confidently stating that they would provide him with proper guidance in his cultivation

Hmph, as for the clothes in the future, you will be the one to wash them, until a new person comes along

The young man with the black mole was taken aback, rushing forward to grab Fang Xing by the collar, and said sternly: "Shut your mouth, don't bring trouble upon us. If others hear you cursing Sister Lingyun like that, it won't just be you who suffers; even the rest of us will be in trouble! Remember this: once you enter this medicinal field, you must listen to me. If I tell you to go east, you cannot go west; if I tell you to catch bugs, you cannot chase chickens..."

Fang Xingzhuang cried out in terror, as if he would scream at the slightest touch from anyone.

Yes, from now on, the responsibility of emptying the toilet will fall to you, as well as fetching water daily to fill the water tank

The young man with the black mole smiled coldly and said, "So what?"

Sister Lingyun

The favored one beside Senior Sister Lingyun! Go and inquire, you blind fools!

The little freckle suddenly stopped its cries, but liquid began to seep out from the crotch of its pants

Do you want to hit me? I can scream...

Xiao Jianming firmly believes that he can find him and vows to definitely locate him. However, no one knows that this notorious thief has already joined the Qingyun Sect three months later, becoming his junior disciple... if a Taoist boy can be considered a junior disciple.

These items were originally carried on the back of the young girl, who has now fainted, leaving the bundle unattended. Fang Xing picked it up again.

By evening, several Taoist disciples had fallen asleep, and the entire Qingyun Mountain was enveloped in a profound silence